Strength and Core exercises to prevent neck & shoulder pain.

The new year is a natural time for focusing on new goals.  At the end of the festive season we can feel like we have over indulged so want to refocus on health.  I know I certainly feel like that.  So I wanted to share some ideas for health new year's resolutions.

1. Focus on 1 health goal for 2018 as this focus will help you acheive it.
2. Use the stairs more.
3. Go outside for a daily dose of vitamin D.
4. Focus on your breath when you feel the stress coming on. It's a mini meditation session.
5. Turn off all electronics 20 minutes before lights out at bedtime.
6. Write down everything you're grateful for at the end of the day.
7. Drink more water than cafine.
8. Add one thing to your life that brings you joy.
9. Cook at home more frequently.  You’ll end up getting healthier in the process.
10. Forgive someone. Anger and resentment is like holding onto internal poison and can even harm your physical health. Life’s too short to not move on.

   

We all struggle to get our heads around things from time to time.  For me I find it hard to imagine living with Fibromyalgia, the constant pain, which moves around the body and the tiredness.  In addition to the physical symptoms there is the additional mental strain of living with a chronic condition that is has no visible signs and can change from day to day. A pilot study recruited 22 women who had been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia to participate in a 75 minute yoga class twice weekly for eight weeks.  Questionnaires were used to track pain, anxiety and depression they were completed pre, mid and post intervention.  In addition salivary cortisol samples were taken three times a day pre and post intervention. The results indicate that a "yoga intervention" may

• Reduce pain
• Reduce catastrophising
• Increase acceptance
• Increase mindfulness
• Alter total cortisol levels

Reference Curtis K, Osadchuk A and Katz J (2011) An eight week yoga intervention is associated with improvements in pain, psychological functioning and mindfulness and changes in cortisol levels in women with Fibromyalgia.  Journal of Pain Research 4: 189-201  

Recently a scientific study (see details below) was published which evaluated the physiological anxiety signs and sedation needs of patients in intensive care units in a Turkish hospital.

Title:	Reflexology: It’s effects on Physiological Anxiety Signs and Sedation Needs
Journal:	Holistic Nursing Practioner
Authors:	E. Korhan, L. Khorshid, M Uyar
Reference:	2014; 28 (1);6-23
Study Type:	Randomised Controlled Trial - with control group receiving no treatment

Background It is an accepted medical fact that when it is necessary to mechanically ventilate patients in intensive care units of hospitals, the patients experience stress and anxiety.  It is standard medical practice to relieve anxiety, pain, agitation with sedatives to ensure patient comfort. Sedatives however also have side effects causing high blood pressure, slow heart beat, coma, respiratory depression, muscle weakness and atrophy, increased risk of pneumonia, kidney problems and immunosuppression. It may also prolong the need for ventilation which in turn increases the risk of complications. Method 60 patients were split into two groups one of which was the control group.  Sedation (Propofol) was reduced 30 min before treatment (or no treatment) which resulted in patients with mixed consciousness to which the outcome measure was administered. This was the American Association of critical care nurses sedation assessment scale (AACNSAS) and the vital signs recorded. Reflexology applied to ears, hands and feet bilaterally was given twice a day for a total of 30 minutes per day, over 5 days. The reflexology focussed on the brain, cortex, hypothalamus, hypophysis and subcortex; areas though to influence anxiety, agitation and stress response. No reflexology was given to the control group but the sedation was reduced and all the same measurements were taken. Results The physiological signs of anxiety and stress i.e. blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate were are reduced in the group that received reflexology on each of the 5 days.  In addition there was a reduction in the requirement for sedatives in the group that received reflexology. Conclusions These findings ‘show that reflexology is an effective treatment in reducing the physiological signs of anxiety and stress in patients receiving mechanically ventilated support.’ This study provides scientific evidence to underpin the idea that reflexology has a beneficial effect on anxiety and stress.